To Future Sophomore Class President,
Next year you will be replacing me as Sophomore Class President. Congratulations! Winning your first year of elections and going through the application process is no small feat. Luckily for you, you already have a year of experience after being in the program as a freshman representative. But believe me when I tell you that Sophomore year is a bit more challenging. (I know, going through freshman year felt like fighting a war) However, you become adapted to the climate of leadership and more equipped to take on challenges. There are some things that I wish someone would have told me before I stepped into this role that I think you should know.
The first thing, and arguably the most important, is that you will mess up. In my experience, I put a lot of pressure on myself to excel in every event and activity I was in charge of. I didn’t give myself any leeway to have errors or make mistakes which, in itself, set me up for failure. One thing that I want to stress is that it’s absolutely more than okay to fail, because in all seriousness you will! You cannot expect to succeed in every area of leadership and have a spotless record. The most important thing is to take those mistakes as an opportunity to learn. I’ve turned my mistakes into my goals and aspirations. The things I failed on, I’ve made a point to fix and work on in my future. So please, if you take anything from this then let it be that no leader is perfect. It’s not realistic to hold yourself to a standard that not one person can achieve.
The second thing involves work delegation, this is a skill that I will never stop trying to improve on. If you’re anything like me then you can tend to put a lot of responsibility on yourself. While in theory this seems like it would work out, in practice you’ll find that you begin to struggle balancing all the tasks you have to take care of. You have to trust in your team and not be a work hog! If the tasks are split evenly not only does it give you a break, but it gives all of your group something to take part in.
And the third thing is more on the personal side, but it’s to always trust in your abilities. Being president comes with a lot of responsibilities! You have to plan events, set an example, and be a leader to a team of group members. At times there can be a good deal of pressure on you to not only achieve, but surpass standards. There were moments this year that I began to doubt my capabilities and didn’t think I was qualified to even be in that position of leadership. But the more effort I put into the program and the best I did to stay self aware the more I was able to see that I belong, and so do you. You are your own biggest critic, so try not to be too hard on yourself. Be mindful of your assets and all that you bring to the table as an individual, I promise you that it will have an impact on not only your performance as a leader, but also your mindset and confidence.
I wish you the absolute best of luck in your Sophomore year as class president and am always willing to lend a helping hand or give out advice. You’ve got this!
-Claire Morris
Next year you will be replacing me as Sophomore Class President. Congratulations! Winning your first year of elections and going through the application process is no small feat. Luckily for you, you already have a year of experience after being in the program as a freshman representative. But believe me when I tell you that Sophomore year is a bit more challenging. (I know, going through freshman year felt like fighting a war) However, you become adapted to the climate of leadership and more equipped to take on challenges. There are some things that I wish someone would have told me before I stepped into this role that I think you should know.
The first thing, and arguably the most important, is that you will mess up. In my experience, I put a lot of pressure on myself to excel in every event and activity I was in charge of. I didn’t give myself any leeway to have errors or make mistakes which, in itself, set me up for failure. One thing that I want to stress is that it’s absolutely more than okay to fail, because in all seriousness you will! You cannot expect to succeed in every area of leadership and have a spotless record. The most important thing is to take those mistakes as an opportunity to learn. I’ve turned my mistakes into my goals and aspirations. The things I failed on, I’ve made a point to fix and work on in my future. So please, if you take anything from this then let it be that no leader is perfect. It’s not realistic to hold yourself to a standard that not one person can achieve.
The second thing involves work delegation, this is a skill that I will never stop trying to improve on. If you’re anything like me then you can tend to put a lot of responsibility on yourself. While in theory this seems like it would work out, in practice you’ll find that you begin to struggle balancing all the tasks you have to take care of. You have to trust in your team and not be a work hog! If the tasks are split evenly not only does it give you a break, but it gives all of your group something to take part in.
And the third thing is more on the personal side, but it’s to always trust in your abilities. Being president comes with a lot of responsibilities! You have to plan events, set an example, and be a leader to a team of group members. At times there can be a good deal of pressure on you to not only achieve, but surpass standards. There were moments this year that I began to doubt my capabilities and didn’t think I was qualified to even be in that position of leadership. But the more effort I put into the program and the best I did to stay self aware the more I was able to see that I belong, and so do you. You are your own biggest critic, so try not to be too hard on yourself. Be mindful of your assets and all that you bring to the table as an individual, I promise you that it will have an impact on not only your performance as a leader, but also your mindset and confidence.
I wish you the absolute best of luck in your Sophomore year as class president and am always willing to lend a helping hand or give out advice. You’ve got this!
-Claire Morris